SAFE Training Resources

Often people refer to dogs that struggle on social activities as reactive, aggressive, or chaotic dogs. While there is the occasional dog that is actually out to do damage to anyone or anything that gets too close. Most of these dogs are struggling in social situations and therefore bark, lunge, jump or repeat some other over-the-top behavior when they are faced with distraction.

At Yooper Paws we offer online support to dog owners with our SAFE Framework resources.

The SAFE Framework supports dog owners who feel overwhelmed by helping them build safety, confidence, and resilience one compassionate step at a time.

Through fun, practical games, you’ll teach real-life skills like impulse control, communication skills, and confidence building tools, while giving your dog the foundational tools for safety, trust, and emotional balance.

Small, thoughtful steps create the biggest changes and our SAFE Collection offers options to meet every dog owner's needs.

Overwhelmed by your dog’s behavior?

Download the FREE SAFE Dog Blueprint, a beginner-friendly guide using the SAFE Framework (Security, Attachment, Function, Environment) to help your dog feel safer, calmer, and more confident. Simple tips. Practical steps. Real results.

A SAFE Start: Support Your Dog, Build Confidence, Reduce Stress

Feeling stuck with a dog who’s easily overwhelmed, overstimulated, or unsure? A SAFE Start gives you a calm, clear roadmap to support your dog step by step—without pressure or force.

Using the SAFE Framework, you’ll learn to:

Security: Reduce stress and help your dog stay calm in new or challenging situations.
Attachment: Strengthen trust and connection so your dog checks in and feels supported.
Function: Build real-life coping skills with fun, confidence-boosting activities like nosework, play-based learning, and 24-Hour Bowling.
Environment: Choose and adjust training spaces thoughtfully to set your dog up for success.

This trauma-informed, force-free class gives you practical tools, flexible options, and real strategies for everyday life—no perfection required. Just a safer, steadier way forward for you and your dog.

A SAFE Place Membership

A SAFE Place Membership is a calm, compassionate community for dog owners who want to support reactive or overly excitable dogs using force-free, relationship-based methods.

Inside the membership, you’ll gain ongoing access to expertly designed learning collections, including the SAFE Dog Blueprint, SAFE Start Collection, Helping Fearful Dogs Collection, and Confident Canines Collection; all built to help you understand your dog’s emotions, build safety, and create lasting confidence. If you’re ready to grow your skills, strengthen your bond, and navigate life with your dog with trust and calm, A SAFE Place Membership is your go-to resource.

This membership is for dog owners who see behavior as communication, not a problem to suppress. We welcome members who:

Value Connection Over Control
Want Knowledge That Builds Confidence
Love Learning Through Play
Want a Full Life With Their Dog
Want Support, Not Judgment

Additional Memberships With Ongoing Support

Struggling with your dog can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone.

The Turning Struggles Into Strengths Membership and Premium Planning & Support Membership are designed for dog owners who want more than quick fixes; they want understanding, guidance, and real progress.

With these memberships, you’ll get exclusive monthly lessons, step-by-step training plans, and expert support, all rooted in force-free, compassionate methods.

Learn to plan successful training sessions, use multiple types of enrichment and positive reinforcement to train your dog, get a deeper understanding of your dog's behavior and become part of a compassionate, supportive community. Our memberships are designed to give you the tools, community, and confidence to create lasting change for you and your dog.

Starting Level: A SAFE Place
Intermediate Level: Turning Struggles Into Strengths Workshop Series
Advanced Support Level: Premium Planning & Support Membership.

Private & Group Dog Training Services with Yooper Paws

At Yooper Paws, we help fearful, reactive, and overwhelmed dogs and their humans build confidence, safety, and connection using trauma-informed, force-free methods. Every training program is designed to honor your dog’s emotions while giving you the tools and support to succeed as a team.

First Session Full Behavior Evaluation

Your initial session is a chance for everyone to get to know each other. Using the training triangle of support, we assess the dog, the owner, and the trainer all working together. During this session, we explore:

How your dog responds to strangers (including me, the trainer)
How your dog reacts to other dogs (my dogs are always on-site for careful introductions)
How your dog processes new environments (inside the Training Center and beyond)
Motivational resources that bring out your dog’s best

Owners can ask questions, share behavior concerns, and see if we’re a good fit for ongoing training. This 90-minute evaluation is priced at $150 and lays the groundwork for personalized success.
Private Session Packages

If the Behavior Evaluation shows we’re a great fit, we move into Private Session Packages tailored to your goals:

The Safe, Calm, & Happy Plan

A slow, positive-reinforcement approach that helps dogs learn:
To navigate environments safely
To communicate confidently with their human
To practice behaviors we want repeated

This 11-session package includes the Behavior Evaluation, 6 private sessions, and 3 group sessions (walks or indoor classes). Pricing is $600, with flexible payment options, and includes a 50% discount on your first month of any Patreon Membership.

The FAD Family Pets Plan

Perfect for dogs with basic training who want to expand teamwork and learn fun new skills. This package includes 6 private sessions, and is priced at $300. This package emphasizes communication, teamwork, and positive reinforcement games to increase desirable behaviors while reducing stress or reactive responses. Each session is tailored to fit the dog owner's needs working on anything from household manners, basic obedience, advanced training skills, and dog sports prep.

Group Walks (Weather Permitting)

After private sessions, dogs and owners are invited to Group Walks for a real-world opportunity to practice skills around distractions. Distance from other dogs and distractions is customized to your dog’s comfort level, starting anywhere from 20 feet to 200+ feet apart.

All dogs participate with a well-fitting harness and longline, and group sizes are designed to maximize learning and safety.

All dogs must be pre-approved having done some basic harness and longline training and the dog owner must be able to understand their dog's specific signs of stress, knowing when to increase and decrease distance to help maintain a feeling of safety for everyone.

Email us to find the right group for your dog. (Note: group walks are on hold during colder winter months.)

Extended Private Sessions & Dog Days Packages

For advanced goals such as dog sports, working skills, or more challenging behaviors, we offer Extended Private Sessions and Dog Days Packages. These sessions provide:

2–4 hour focused sessions tailored to your dog’s needs
Practice with household manners, play skills, and real-world challenges
Opportunities to train in multiple environments in one day
Owner involvement options, depending on the dog’s comfort

Many working dog teams or fearful adolescent dogs benefit from these longer, personalized sessions to tackle bigger goals while maintaining safety, trust, and confidence.

Check out the Yooper Paws YouTube Channel to see real-life examples of Dog Days Sessions with dogs like Oy, Blue, Maverick, Millie, and Leo!

Dog Day Sessions must be pre-approved by the Trainer you are working with and can be scheduled via email or a link provided by your trainer.

Need more information?

Reach out to us at dogtraining@yooperpaws.com with any questions you have before getting started!

Yooper Paws of Love